Evonik Corp. is expanding its medical devices portfolio with a pair of research facilities slated to open early this month.

The Medical Devices Project Houses, one on Evonik’s research campus in Birmingham, Ala., and a branch in Hanau, Germany, will develop biomaterials and polymers for medical technology, focusing on implantables.

“We want to open up new growth opportunities for Evonik on the medical technology market with innovative products,” said Peter Nagler, Evonik’s chief innovation officer, in an April 4 news release. The new sites will be “pooling and expanding the interdisciplinary competencies of Evonik in the area of medical technology and biomaterial research.”

The German firm, with its U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., says it is looking to internationalize its research and development efforts, focusing on the United States, which makes up 40 percent of the global medical technology market. The medical devices research facility will be the 11th project house for Evonik’s Birmingham campus.

“Our location in Birmingham places our research at the center of the highly attractive U.S. market with great proximity to our customers. At the same time, we benefit from the expertise of the health care business line of Evonik, which manages the site in Birmingham,” said Rosario Lizio, who heads the Medical Devices Project House.

Earlier this year, Evonik introduced new high-performance polymers specially designed for medical devices. Vestamid Care is available as nylon 12 and polyether block amides; Trogamid Care resins are transparent nylons with microcrystalline and amorphous molecular chain structures; and Vestakeep Care is a polyetheretherketone. The biocompatible Care line’s target applications include catheters, surgical instruments and hearing aids.